Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed her first slate of legislation to make healthcare, housing, and energy more affordable, accessible, and reliable for Virginians.
Among legislation signed into law is stopping predatory middlemen — pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs. Additionally, the Governor signed bills to encourage the development of new housing, invest in Virginia’s healthcare workforce, and protect Virginia ratepayers from shouldering the cost of new energy infrastructure investments.
“No Virginian should ever have to choose between seeing their doctor, paying their rent or mortgage, or keeping their lights on,” said Spanberger. “We are holding pharmacy benefit managers accountable for hiking up drug costs, cutting red tape so more Virginians can find housing that fits their budget, and tackling the high energy costs Virginians are facing across the Commonwealth. Over the coming weeks, I look forward to taking further action to address rising healthcare, housing, and energy costs. As additional bills are sent to my desk, I will continue to sign them into law as we work to build a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for every Virginian.”
The following bills are designed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible:
SB669 — Stopping predatory middlemen from hiking up the cost of prescription drugs. Passed unanimously.
SB405 — Increasing access to quality, affordable care by investing in and growing Virginia’s healthcare workforce. Passed unanimously.
HB220, SB630 — Eliminating additional fees on healthcare premiums. Passed with bipartisan support.
HB60 — Protecting Virginians’ access to critical preventive healthcare. Passed with bipartisan support.
The following are designed to make housing more affordable and available:
HB1227, SB729 — Leveraging the Commonwealth’s bonding authority to support the development of new affordable housing. Passed with bipartisan support.
SB628 — Keeping Virginians in their homes by expanding the Virginia Eviction Reduction Program pilot program. Passed with bipartisan support.
HB655, SB346 — Boosting housing supply by making it easier to build manufactured homes. Passed with bipartisan support.
The following will address Virginians’ high energy costs:
HB1191, SB377 — Permitting high energy use customers to invest in new energy infrastructure while protecting ratepayers from increased costs. Passed unanimously.
HB369 — Encouraging investment in cutting-edge energy technology, like fusion and nuclear. Passed with bipartisan support.
SB505 — Evaluating how to best protect ratepayers from paying excessive costs due to market spikes in fuel costs. Passed unanimously.
HB562 — Encouraging electric co-operatives to provide more reliable power for customers and help ease demand on the grid. Passed with bipartisan support.
HB889, SB497 — Streamlining permitting of new high-voltage transmission infrastructure in existing utility and highway corridors. Passed with bipartisan support.
HB1225, SB407 — Supporting the development of electric vehicle charging stations to expand access and reliability. Passed with bipartisan support.
